• SAX SHAW (1916-2000) TWO PORTRAIT STUDIES

the first inscribed, dated and signed lower centre MN 8th 1976(?)/Shaw; the second signed and dated lower right Shaw 74

pen and ink with brush

27 x 20 cm/10 1/2 x 8 in (largest)

Born in Yorkshire in 1916, Sax Shaw became one of Scotland's most influential post war artists. His semi-abstract and highly colourful designs were not, however, confined to watercolour. He worked in many media, often simultaneously, including mosaics and murals. However, it is his revolutionary use of stained glass and tapestry that made him a pioneer on the post war Scottish art scene. After studying at Huddersfield College of Art, his artistic training in Scotland began at Edinburgh College of Art where he focused on stained glass design. His works include the windows of St Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue, New York. At the Gobelins Tapestry workshops in Paris he was inspired by the work of Picasso, Lurat and Matisse and went on to become Director of the Dovecote Tapestry Studios where he took a neglected medium used mostly to produce traditional copies of period paintings and transformed it into a form of modern art. His works can be seen in both Glasgow and Coventry cathedrals.